Seal opener



Sept. 4, 1951 R. B. CALLAHAN ET AL SEAL OPENER Filed Aug. 29, 1949 OPAQUE PLASTIC M 27 v Z RANDALL ROBERT INVENTORS. CALLQHAN ATTORNEY B. R. GRl

Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAL OPENER Randall B. Callahan and Robert R. Gripp,

Santa Monica, Calif.

Application August 29, 1949, Serial No. 113,010

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to container opening devices, and relates more particularly to seal cutting devices.

Many types of liquor and wine bottles, and the like, are provided with a plastic seal at the upper end portion of the neck, such seals extending over onto the cap or stopper of the bottles. It is sometimes a problem to remove: seals of this character, and even when a knife or like instrument is used such seals are not always readily and quickly removable.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a device that will quickly and easily out such plastic seals so that the bottle may be opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with which the seal may be quickly and easily severed completely just below the cap.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be pressed onto the cap and rotated, thereby cutting the seal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the cutting blades are automatically moved inwardly into cutting position when the device is pressed downwardly on the cap.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the cutting blades are designed to enter the space between the lower end of the cap and the adjacent part of the bottle and completely sever the seal at this location.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted to accommodate bottles having necks of various diameters adjacent the cap, and also to function properly on bottles having caps of various lengths.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character that is simple in construction and operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, whichare for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the device;

Fig. 2 is a view of the device as seen from the open end; 7

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the device in operative position on a bottle neck; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the device showing a 2 chain attached thereto for suspending the device in a convenient location.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a body, indicated generally at 10, which is in the general shape of an inverted cup. The body Ill may be of any suitable material, such as a plastic, which may be clear, opaque and/or colored.

The body In includes a bottom wall H from which the side wall 12 extends, said side wall flaring outwardly to the open end l3. The interior of the body includes a generally cylindrical portion M. The outer end portion l5 of the interior of the body flares outwardly from the adjacent end of the cylindrical portion l4 and there are a plurality of annularly spaced grooves l6 in the wall of the flared portion I5. There are two sets of diametrically opposed grooves 16, and the bottoms ll of said grooves comprise cam surfaces, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter described.

The bottom wall I I is relatively thick and is provided with a cylindrical recess [8 arranged axially of the body and extending inwardly from the outer side of said bottom II. The recess [8 stops short of the inner surface of the wall I l and there is an opening I 9 which extends axially from the bottom of the recess I8 into the interior of the body, thereby providing a shoulder 20 at the bottom of said recess.

A plurality of cutter members, indicated generally at 22 and 23, are provided, and each cutter member includes integral parts arranged in the general shape of a short, wide, inverted U. The cutter members 22 and 23 are formed of resilient metal and include bottom parts 24 and 25 respectively. The member 22 is provided with arms 26 which are inclined outwardly from the part 24, there being cutting blades 21 which extend inwardly toward each other at a slightly downwardly or outwardly direction. The blades 21 have cutting edges 28 which are oppositely inclined relative to the side edges of said blades,

so that the longest sides 29, are oppositely disposed, there being cutting points 30 at said opposite sides.

The cutting member 23 is similarly constructed and includes arms 32 carrying blades 33 having cutting edges 34, inclined similarly to the cutof the body in spaced relation to the inner surface of the bottom wall II and. are perforated at their intersection. The perforations are in register with each other and in substantially axial alignment with the body iii. A rivet is is re ceived in the perforations and is provided with a head 4| disposed beneath the part 24, it being noted that the part 25 is disposed at the inner side of said part 24. The rivet 45 slidably extends through the opening l9 and is provided with a head 42 which normally rests on the shoulder 25 formed by the bottom of the recess [8 around the opening [9. The rivet Gil therefore holds the cutter members within the body it.

In operating the device, it is placed on the cap 43 (Fig. 4) on the neck 44 of a bottle. The thin plastic seal is shown at 45, and. it will be noted that the seal extends onto the cap as and about part of the bottle neck The device is pressed downwardly on the cap causing the parts 26 and 25 to bow inwardly, as shown in at which time the rivet 40 moves upwardly within the recess 18, and the arms 25 and move along the cam surfaces [7. The inner ends of the cam surfaces I! are spaced closer together with respect to those disposed oppositely thereof, and hence, the blade carrying ends of the arms 25 and 32 move inwardly. As shown in Fig. 4, the the. blades 2'! of the cutter member 22 perforate the plastic seal 45 just below the cap, and rota tion of the body will cause-said blades to cut the plastic seal at this point. In rotating the device to cut the seal, the body is moved in such a dire 3 tion that the point of the blades trail, such rection being clockwise where the device is con structed as shown.

If desired, the blades 33 may be in the same plane as the blades 21, or the blades 33 may terminate in a plane spaced axially from the plane. of the blades 2! as shown in. Figs. land 4. With this arrangement the blades 33 will cut the plastic seal of abottle having a cap shorter than that shown in Fig. 4. In other words, the device is adapted to cut the seals of bottles having caps of different lengths.

After the seal has been completely severed, the device is raised. The parts 2 3 and 25 will all tomatically return to their normal, horizontal position (Fig. 1), and the arms 28 and 32 will resume their normal positions so that the device may be lifted from the bottle. The cap 43 may then be removed.

In Fig. 5 the rivet 40 is shown. as having an eye 50 to which a chain 5| is attached. The other end of the chain may be attached to some convenient supporting member so that the device will be conveniently located for use and there will be no danger of its becoming misplaced or lost.

If desired, the end wall I! may have its outer surface grooved, as shown at 52, or the exterior of the body may be otherwise formed to provide an attractive appearance.

We claim:

1. In a device of the class described: a body in the general shape of an inverted cup having a bottom and side walls, said bottom havin a substantially axial recess in the outer side and an opening from the bottom of said recess into the interior of said'body, said opening being of smaller cross sectional area than said recess, said side wall flaring outwardly to the open end and having a plurality of annular-1 spaced grooves extending from the open end of the body, the bottoms of said grooves being inclined inwardly toward the axis of said body and forming cam surfaces, said grooves being arranged in diametrically opposed pairs; a plurality of cutter members, each cutter member including parts arof the respective arms with the longer side of the blades of each cutter member oppositely disposed, said cutter members being arranged within the body so that said side arms are received. in

respective grooves and ride on the cam surfaces thereof, the blades of on of the cutter members being in a plane spaced axially from the plane oi the blades of the other cutter member, the bottoms of said cutter members extending transversely of the body in spaced relation to the closed end thereof and being crossed substantially at the axis of said body, said bottom parts having openin s therein registering with each other and substantially aligned with the axis of said body; and a rivet in said openings having a head adjacent the inner and beneath said bottom parts, said rivet slidably extended through the opening in said body and. having a head on the opposite end slidable within the recess of said body and being adapted to be normally disposed adjacent the bottom of said recess, said rivet holding the cutter members within the body.

2. In a device of the class described: a body in the general shape of an inverted cup having bottom and side walls, said side wall having a plurality of annularly spaced grooves, the bottoms of said grooves being inclined inwardly toward the axis of said body and forming cam surfaces; a plurality of cutter members within said body, said cutter members having resilient parts extending diametrically of the interior of the body; outwardly extending arms adjacent the ends of said parts and slidably received in said grooves, said arms riding on said cam surfaces; inwardly extending cutter blades adjacent the free ends of said arms; and means for retaining the cutter members in said body.

3. In a device of the class described: a hollow annular body having annularly spaced cam surfaces, said cam surfaces being carried by said body; cutter members within said body including parts engaging said cam surfaces, and parts having cutting edges; and means for causing the parts carrying the cutting edges to move inwardly toward the axis of said body when said means is engaged under pressure with the cap of a bottle.

4. In a device of the class described: a generally annular body including side walls; a pair 01' diametrically opposed cam portions carried by the side walls; a cutter member including parts, engageable with said cam surfaces and inwardly extending blades having their cutting edges 1 spaced apart; and resilient means connecting said cutter parts together and adapted to move said parts on said cams for effecting inward movement of said blades.

RANDALL B. CALLAHAN. ROBERT R. GRIPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 786,892 Happe Apr. 11, 1905 896,303 Klepper Aug. 18, 1908 

